Gaps between Open Science activities and actual recognition systems: Insights from an international survey.

There are global movements aiming to promote reform of the traditional research evaluation and reward systems. However, a comprehensive picture of the existing best practices and efforts across various institutions to integrate Open Science into these frameworks remains underdeveloped and not fully known. The aim of this study was to identify perceptions and expectations of various research communities worldwide regarding how Open Science activities are (or should be) formally recognised and rewarded.

Effect of donor-specific blood transfusions on allotransplanted teeth in a monkey model: Histoquantification of periodontal healing.

Background/aims: Pre-transplant blood transfusions have previously shown a positive effect on organ allograft survival in humans and various animal species. The aims of this study were, first, to evaluate the effect of pre-transplant donor-specific blood transfusions on periodontal healing of fully developed allotransplanted teeth in monkeys; and second, to investigate the immune response against donor antigens and to determine a possible correlation between alloimmune reactions and histopathological signs of rejection.

Material And Methods: Twenty monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) were divided into ten pairs with similar sizes of incisors.

Mechanisms of human smooth muscle cell proliferation and transplant vasculopathy induced by HLA class I antibodies: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) play an important role in the pathophysiology of transplant vasculopathy (TV), a major cause of late death in patients receiving an organ transplant. In this review we describe the proliferative effect in vitro and in vivo of HLA class I antibodies on human SMC. We have developed an experimental model using segments of human mesenteric arteries transplanted in the position of the infrarenal aorta in immunodeficient mice (SCID/beige).

A key role for matrix metalloproteinases and neutral sphingomyelinase-2 in transplant vasculopathy triggered by anti-HLA antibody.

Background: Outcomes for organ transplantation are constantly improving because of advances in organ preservation, surgical techniques, immune clinical monitoring, and immunosuppressive treatment preventing acute transplant rejection. However, chronic rejection including transplant vasculopathy still limits long-term patient survival. Transplant vasculopathy is characterized by progressive neointimal hyperplasia leading to arterial stenosis and ischemic failure of the allograft.

Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice develop an anti-Chlamydophila pneumoniae T helper 2 response and resist vascular infection.

Background: Hypercholesterolemia could inhibit the immune response against various pathogens. No information is available about its impact on the immune response toward Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

Methods: Apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient and wild-type mice fed a normal diet were infected with a single intranasal inoculation of viable C.

Polyoma BK virus-associated nephropathy in kidney-transplant patients: Effects of leflunomide on T-cell functions and disease outcome.

Background: In kidney-transplant recipients, leflunomide has been shown to be efficient for treating polyomavirus BK virus-associated-nephropathy (PVAN). However, it is unknown whether the beneficial effect of leflunomide is related to it having a lower immunosuppressive effect than mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), or to its anti-viral activity. The aim of this study was to assess i) T-cell functions before and after conversion from MMF to leflunomide in kidney-transplant patients with PVAN, and ii) effects of leflunomide on PVAN outcome.

Cytokines correlate with age in healthy volunteers, dialysis patients and kidney-transplant patients.

T-cell functions are currently used as biomarkers for the pharmacodynamic monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs or as disease biomarkers of inflammation/sepsis and organ rejection. In order to evaluate co-factors potentially influencing the expression of the immunological biomarkers, we explored T-cell proliferation, T-cell activation (CD25 and CD71 expressions) and intra-lymphocyte cytokine production (interleukin (IL)-2 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha) in healthy volunteers, dialysis patients and stable kidney-transplant patients treated with standard immunosuppressive therapy, i.e.

Interleukin-6 deficiency fails to prevent chronic rejection after aortic allografts in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Background: Chronic vascular rejection (CVR) is characterized by an intimal thickening in the arteries of allografts due to immunoinflammatory reactions and smooth muscle cell proliferation. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels are increased in patients with graft rejection, however the role of IL-6 in CVR is not known. We investigated if IL-6 deficiency in the recipient could prevent CVR after an aortic allograft.

In vitro mitogen-stimulated T-cell from hepatitis C virus-positive liver transplantation candidates, increases T-cell activation markers and T-cell proliferation.

The incidence of acute rejection is significantly higher in hepatitis C virus (HCV) liver-transplant patients than in patients who have received a graft for other liver diseases, i.e., mainly alcoholic cirrhosis.

Pharmacodynamic monitoring of the conversion from mycophenolate mofetil to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in stable kidney-allograft recipients.

Background: The formulations of mycophenolic acid, i.e., mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS), seem to have different pharmacokinetic profiles.

Reconstitution of immunodeficient SCID/beige mice with human cells: applications in preclinical studies.

Experimental studies of the in vivo behaviour of human cells and tissues have become possible with the development of immunodeficient mice strains. Such mice accept readily allogeneic or xenogeneic grafts, including grafts of human cells or tissues, without rejection. In this review we describe different immunodeficient mouse strains that have been used for reconstitution by human immune cells.

Multiple human mesenteric arterial grafts from the same donor to study human chronic vascular rejection in humanized SCID/beige mice.

Background: Chronic vascular rejection (CVR) is a major problem in clinical transplantation. Studies in experimental animals have been important to understand some of its mechanisms, but they are hampered by the difficulty of extrapolating the results into clinical practice.

Methods: We created a new experimental model for the study of human CVR by grafting multiple human mesenteric arteries from the same human donor into different SCID/beige mice in the infrarenal aortic position.

Engraftment of human T, B and NK cells in CB.17 SCID/beige mice by transfer of human spleen cells.

Models of severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) mice reconstituted with a competent human immune system represent a valuable tool for the study of human immune responses in vivo. Reconstitution with human cells can be achieved using large numbers of peripheral blood lymphocytes, but levels of engraftment are poor and graft versus host disease (GVHD) frequently occurs. SCID/beige mice are at the same time deficient for adaptive and innate immunity and the objective of this study was to develop a safe and efficient way to achieve human lymphocyte engraftment in these mice using human spleen cells.

Chlamydia pneumoniae alters mildly oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced cell death in human endothelial cells, leading to necrosis rather than apoptosis.

Background: Atherosclerosis is characterized by oxidative stress that induces lipid and protein oxidation in the vascular wall. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDLs) are present in lesions, and one of their actions is to induce apoptosis or necrosis in vascular cells. A role for Chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerosis has been proposed, but the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown.

Caspase-10 triggers Bid cleavage and caspase cascade activation in FasL-induced apoptosis.

In contrast to caspase-8, controversy exists as to the ability of caspase-10 to mediate apoptosis in response to FasL. Herein, we have shown activation of caspase-10, -3, and -7 as well as B cell lymphoma-2-interacting domain (Bid) cleavage and cytochrome c release in caspase-8-deficient Jurkat (I9-2) cells treated with FasL. Apoptosis was clearly induced as illustrated by nuclear and DNA fragmentation.

Expression of membrane-bound and soluble FasL in Fas- and FADD-dependent T lymphocyte apoptosis induced by mildly oxidized LDL.

Apoptosis plays an essential role in atherosclerosis. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) and activated T lymphocytes are present in atherosclerotic lesions, and we have previously reported that oxLDL induce apoptosis of activated T lymphocytes. We now show that this is preceded by an increase of Fas and FasL expression.